Obese, unwell and unaware

Couch-bound ... Australia has one of the higher obesity rates in the world.
Photo: Michele Mossop

by
Claire Stewart

Not only are most Australian adults overweight – almost two out of three – but data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Monday confirms a big minority have high levels of cholesterol, and may not realise it.

An ABS health survey of more than 25,000 adults indicates that 5.6 million adults, or roughly one in three, have high cholesterol, and nearly 63 per cent of adults are overweight or obese.

For the purpose of the ABS survey, high total cholesterol meant levels of so-called bad cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), at or above 5.5 mmol/litre. The results also showed low levels of so-called good cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, that can sometimes work to balance out the effects of high LDL counts.

What was concerning about the result, said
Paul Jelfs
, head of the ABS social, health and labour division, was that only 10 per cent of those people identified knew they had high cholesterol, which is believed to be associated with some strokes and heart attacks.

AFR
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Lipid-lowering drugs, or statins, are the most commonly prescribed drugs in Australia, and global sales are estimated at more than $US29 billion ($32.6 billion) annually.

Despite rising concern statins might increase the risk of dementia and diabetes, more than 30 per cent of people over 45 years old, or about 2 million adults, are taking statins in Australia. The OECD average for statin use in the over-45s is less than 25 per cent.

But
Lynn Weekes
, chief executive of independent medicine analysis body NPS MedicineWise, said the difference meant Australian doctors were following “best-practice" guidelines, rather than merely overprescribing the drug to treat low- and high-risk patients alike. “If people are otherwise at low risk of having a heart attack or stroke, the first port of call is lifestyle changes, like diet and exercise," Dr Weekes said.

“The results reflect what we know about having one of the higher rates of obesity in the world. You’d expect the link with high cholesterol to be there, given our diet and lifestyle – watching sports on TV."

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Data released by NPS MedicineWise shows that statins are the top two most prescribed drugs, taking three of the top 10 places. Drugs for high blood pressure account for two more slots in the list, while paracetamol, and drugs to treat indigestion and stomach acid problems, asthma and Type 2 diabetes account for the remainder.

Dr Jelfs also said the ABS survey showed nearly 75 per cent over-45s exhibited risk factors for heart disease. “Interestingly, the picture was not much brighter for younger people, with nearly half of those aged under 45 having at least one of these risk factors."